Untitled
by steepedinshadows419
Summary: AU 3x16 - Based off a Stiles/Lydia gifset found on tumblr, this is a follow up - Stiles catches up with Lydia after she leaves the party, set off by what she saw happening between him and Caitlin. He sets her straight on just who he's got his eyes on and what she feels in return. Oneshot. Stiles/Lydia.
*follow up to this gifset in AU 3x16:

post / 75429485034 / martinnski-au-stiles-kisses-caitlin-just-to

(on scottmartinski's tumblr - PM me and I'll see if I can give you the link if you can't find it)

[SUMMARY: Caitlin kisses Stiles at the party to make Lydia jealous, since she can see her watching Stiles. Stiles agrees to keep kissing her to make Lydia jealous but when Lydia runs off, with Caitlin's urging, he takes off after her and starts to explain that what she saw wasn't what it looked like...]

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She looked at him, totally speechless, daring to hope at the words that had stumbled out of his mouth. Then she shook her head and blinked her eyes, trying to ignore the fluttery sensation that she'd only recently come to terms with made an appearance only when she was around Stiles.

It bothered her, because this was not who she was. She went for the hot, popular bad boys. Like Jackson, or Aiden. She didn't go for the nice guys. They were usually somewhat beneath her. The fact that Stiles was always a little bit dorky in his demeanor and that he'd had a crush on her since the third grade should have made him as far beneath her as he'd always been. Or maybe he just hadn't been on her radar. Whatever the reason, her feelings had definitely shifted in regards to him.

For reasons she would probably never be able to fully comprehend or explain, Stiles protectiveness of her and constant encouragement and admiration had suddenly started to hit home. She'd never had a guy care about her the way Stiles did. And somehow it didn't seem like just a childhood crush. It felt like something more. While she had come to terms with the fact that they were actually pretty good friends now, she told herself that was more than enough. You can't just make yourself suddenly like someone in more than a platonic way.

You can, however, remain in denial for as long as you like that you don't feel _more_ than that for someone you like.

Which was exactly what she planned to do.

"I don't know what you're talking about," she began, clearing her face of any sign of sadness or bitterness at the fact that she had clearly gotten jealous by seeing Stiles kissing another girl. "I just needed to get some fresh air."

"Lyd—"

"I mean, if you want to go mack on some girl you don't even know, who am I to stop you?" She burst without thinking.

"Well," he laughed lightly, "she's not exactly a _stranger_."

Her eyes darted to his and narrowed slightly.

"Oh, so you've made out with her before? On a regular basis perhaps?"

He shook his head, cursing himself for trying to defend himself when the point of running after her had been to _dissuade_ her from thinking he was interested in anyone else.

"No, Lydia. I told you-" He shut his mouth for a second, gathering his thoughts. Then he turned his head and just stared at her.

"What?" she demanded when she could not take the silence and intensity of his stare a moment longer.

"You're jealous."

She stared at him wide-eyed, and belatedly scoffed.

" _Please_."

He somehow managed to suppress the smile that would have signaled his little victory.

"You are. You think I'm into Caitlin-"

"Who?" she asked, trying to appear non-caring and uninterested.

"The girl you saw me _macking_ ," he emphasized, making it clear he was making fun of her little term.

"Oh. Her." She shrugged. "Why should I be jealous of her?"

He wanted to shake her, he was so frustrated.

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but because _you want me_."

A smile played at the corner of her lips, and, he noticed, that her eyes actually twinkled.

"You know, Stiles, I have to say I've never seen you so full of yourself."

He ground his teeth.

"Guess there's a first time for everything." She shrugged. "Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to be alone. So…please, go continue with your macking." She waved her hand in a gesture back towards the party.

He told himself to take some deep breaths. He should probably take her words at face value. After all, never in his wildest dreams did he actually have Lydia's feelings in return of his own. But for some reason something in the way she spoke, in her slight hesitation, in her occasional lack of eye contact, told him something about this little charade just wasn't genuine.

He held his breath and then took the plunge.

"I don't want to go back to the party," he said slowly.

She sighed loudly, sounding bored.

"I want to stay here," he continued. Then he grabbed hold of her arm and turned her fully to him. "With you."

She pulled her arm away, and he let her. "Maybe I don't want you to."

A little smile slipped through his lips. "And why is that?"

"Well, I…" Her eyebrows furrowed. For the life of her, she could not think up a witty comeback to that. She grabbed at the scattered pile of sticks in her mind. "Why do _you_ want to be out here with me?"

His smile turned tender and he took a step closer. She let him. His voice lowered so that it was almost a soft whisper.

"Why do I _always_ want to be around you, Lydia?"

She swallowed, unconsciously dropping her gaze to his lips and then back to his eyes that seemed to be drowning in her. He was staring at her in a way that made her feel alive and vulnerable and on fire. Right now in this moment she knew she was more attractive to Stiles than she had been to any other guy she'd risked a hook up or even relationship with.

"Stiles-"

And he kissed her, moving slowly against her lips, afraid she would pull away and push him in another direction. She would be irritated of course that he'd had the nerve to cross that boundary. After all, he was kissing Lydia Martin. His heart was beating so fast at the realization, and that the intent was to show her just how strong his feelings were, and not to stop a sudden panic attack.

But she didn't pull away. Instead she made a little sound – a moan. He was beside himself. He kissed her again, and she breathed out his name. He told himself to be cool, but he thought he was going to faint. It was so surreal, all of this was.

He made himself pause, so he could get out the final word.

"See, you don't need to be jealous, Lydia." He lifted his hand and tucked a strawberry blonde strand behind her ear.

She blinked. "But you were…"

"Macking?" he smiled, letting himself be amused openly now.

She opened her mouth and shut it. "Well?" She presumed an air of a queen in command. He couldn't have been more drawn to her.

"Do you _like_ me, Lydia?" he smirked.

She swallowed, nervous as she'd never been in this type of situation. In a breathtaking flash of intuition she knew though that she no longer wanted to pretend. A future danced before her that she wanted badly, even if she was scared to death of how it was so different from everything she thought she ever wanted.

She sighed, resigned to the inevitable.

"Would I have gotten jealous so quickly if I didn't?" A small laugh slipped out between her lips before she could stop it.

He smiled wide and pulled her close. Soon she was smiling wide too and everything seemed wonderful and joyful and nothing else existed but the two of them.

He kissed her again, and this time she returned it with enthusiasm, and he didn't stop for a long time.

Soon, he thought, he would tell her he loved her.

* * *

A/N: If you can think of a better title for this story, please let me know. I can usually think of something creative, but with this one I drew a blank.


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